Critic Reviews

The levels aren't very detailed, but the nice-looking mechs balance out for some strong graphics. Even the sounds, which include the upbeat Mobile Suit Gundam music and believable voice-overs, add depth to the overall experience. But best of all, controlling the huge mechanical thugs is no sweat. Simple button presses will have you obliterating rival robots without any hesitation. If you're a Gundam fan, don't miss out on Federation vs. Zeon - it's like living inside the actual show.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon is easily one of the most enjoyable Gundam games to date. The gameplay mechanics are sound, and there's enough variety in the missions that you won't become bored with either the arcade or campaign mode too quickly. Even after you've completed those two options, there's still a versus mode where you can go head-to-head with a human opponent as well as two other computer opponents. Gundam fans will probably get the most enjoyment out of this game, but fans of giant robots fighting each other will undoubtedly have some fun with it as well.

The fan-colored sunglasses caveat may apply here, as I mentioned before. If you're a follower of the Gundam anime, that's not any kind of problem, but if you're looking for quality mecha action, it may be. I still maintain, however, that this is the best game to appear in the canon yet, both for single-player and split-screen action. The arcade-style controls and breadth of available mobile suits offer a lot of fun for fans and non-fans alike.
And anyway, whatever you think, I still love my Gogg.

Until a proper “Virtual On” sequel is unveiled “Federation Vs. Zeon” will have to do for fans of arcade-patterned mech shooters that don’t want to put up with “AC3’s” sim elements and customization requirements. It’s closer to a ‘6.5’ for those of us that don’t care about or follow the TV series’ characters or TV plots, but it lacks the polish and proper balance (the Zeon side is heavily favored) to merit receiving the ‘7’ we were thinking of bestowing upon it. Add a point to the score if you’re a Gundam fanatic though, and start thinking of all the store credit you’re going to get for trading “Journey to Jaburo” and “Zeonic Front.”